Turn Right
by egrant94
Summary: I think of telling him no again. My gut instinct is to tell him to go away forever. Tell him there is nothing left to repair. Nothing to start anymore. His pleading eyes bore into mine and I swear I see a tear run down his cheek as he awaits my reply. I open my mouth to speak, but no words escape. My mind completely draws a blank. I don't know what to say.
1. Chapter 1 - Last Week Fights, This Week

_**A/N: Hey guys, so this is a rough first chapter for my first Gilmore Girls fanfic. This idea has actually been rolling around in my mind for quite awhile and with the announcement of the series coming back, I decided to finally get it written down.**_

 _ **Let me know what you think!**_

 **Disclaimer: I don't own the Gilmore Girls. I wish I did, but we can't all get what we want, right?**

* * *

"Well, thanks for saving me." I tell Dean as an attempt to relieve the thick tension that's been built. We're standing in the chilly, dimly lit hallway outside my dorm room door. He's looking down at me with a funny smirk on his face; obviously not noticing the discomfort I'm feeling with every fibre at that moment.

"Yeah, anytime." He looks like he is about to saying something more to me, but isn't able.

We stand without talking in the hallway once again for what feels to me like hours, rather than just a few seconds. I look down at my shoes as if they are incredibly interesting, while he shifts around in his spot.

"Dean," I pause, trying to find the right words to voice the thoughts running through my overactive mind. "How is it that you can be out like this, here with me, or with anyone else for that matter?" I glance up at him and am not surprised to see the confused expression. I try to clarify, "Where does Lindsay think you are?"

His mouth twitches, and I notice the shame and guilt overshadowing any other emotions that he might have been previously feeling. I almost wince when I notice him refusing to look me in the eye. He opens his mouth a few times, trying to find the words—some sort of excuse—that will make the situation okay in my mind.

"She thinks I'm out." He finally says in a low, gravelly tone.

"Out where?"

"Doesn't matter."

"What's going on with you?" I'm about to say more, to ask him more, when both my train of thought and line of questioning are interrupted.

The entrance to the building opens loudly, giving a much needed interruption to our uncomfortable talk. I look away from Dean's troubled face and see Jess treading down the hallway towards me door. "What are you doing here?" I ask him more out of surprise than actual want for an answer. I can hear Dean shifting his position around and sighing in frustration at Jess' intrusion.

"I need to talk to you." Jess explains simply.

"Jess…" Dean trails off as he struggles with what to say that would make his old rival go away.

Jess looks at me, pointedly ignoring anything Dean might have been about to say.

"I need to talk to you." He repeats the request to me more forcefully this time.

"What are you doing here?" I respond with my own question again, hoping that he'll answer despite my ignoring his own request.

Jess groans just loud enough for it to echo down the nearly empty hallway.

"Rory, please." I notice that his hands are shaking and realise that he's really struggling with reigning in his temper while Dean is present.

I look between my two ex-boyfriends, hoping that the answer to the problem I'd suddenly found myself in the middle of would appear on one of their faces. I look once more at Dean and bite my lip. His face falls as he realises what I'm about to say.

"Rory?" he says my name like he can't believe that I'm picking Jess over him again.

"Go—" I gulp down the frog in my throat. "Go home."

Dean scoffs and tries to take a step towards me. "No"

"Yes, go." I give him my sternest 'Lorelai Gilmore' look, trying to remind him that he shouldn't even be here with my in the first place. "You should go home." To your wife, I want to say.

He frowns, but starts to leave anyway. A couple of steps later and he's standing at the door Jess had just entered through. He offers me one more glance; one more chance to stop him from leaving. I stay silent and let him leave in anger, heavy wooden door slamming and leaves blowing in his wake.

Jess looks at me expectantly. He opens his mouth to speak, but I beat him to the punch.

"Why won't you leave me alone?" I cross my arms over my chest. "You won't go away."

"Rory-" Jess pleads and I try to ignore the way my heart starts rushing when I hear him say my name.

"What do you want?" I cut him off, trying to sound more aggressive with every word, but something tells me I wasn't quite hitting the mark.

"I don't know," he runs his wet hand through is damp hair and I realise it must be raining. I can see the struggle on his face. "I just wanted to see you; talk to you. I just…"

"What?"

"Come with me."

"What?" I repeat again. This time in disbelief.

"Come with me." I resist the urge to roll my eyes at our constant repeating of ourselves.

"Where?"

"I don't know," he glances around the hallway as he runs through his mind the different things he could say to convince me. "Away!"

"Are you crazy?" I question him as I root around in my pocket for my keys. I dig them out and change that had gotten caught falls out of the floor. The sound of metal hitting marble wasn't enough to break the Jess induced fog I was enveloped in.

"Probably." He walks towards me. "Do it. Come with me." He tries to grab my hand, but I pull it out of his reach. "Don't think about it."

I turn away from him and back towards my door. I can't meet his eyes with mine. I can't look into the tear soaked iris' that would bore into mine. He couldn't see the want that I'd been storing ever since the first time he'd left; and especially since he'd told me he was in love with me.

"I can't do that." I shove my key into the lock and twist the handle to open the door. He follows me into my dorm room and I try to ignore the irrational happiness I feel at him being here—with me.

"You don't think you can do it, but you can." The door shuts behind him as his voice starts straining. "You can do whatever you want."

"It's not what I want." At this point I know I'm saying the words to convince myself more than to convince him.

"It is; I know you." His voice is raising louder now, and I want nothing more than to go him and tell him that I was wrong.

"You don't know me!" he rolls his eyes and I regret even attempting to make those words sound plausible.

"Look, we'll go to New York." He takes a half step closer, holding his hand out as if reaching for me across the room. "We'll work, we'll live together, we'll be together. It's what I want. It's what you want, too."

"No!"

"I want to be with you, but not here. Not this place, not Stars Hollow. We have to start new."

I think of telling him no again. My gut instinct is to tell him to go away forever. Tell him there is nothing left to repair. Nothing to start anymore. His pleading eyes bore into mine and I swear I see a tear run down his cheek as he awaits my reply. I open my mouth to speak, but no words escape. My mind completely draws a blank. I don't know what to say.

"You're packed." He waves his hand over the common room floor as if I hadn't previously noticed the Berlin Wall replica that was gracing the area. "Your stuff is all in boxes. It's perfect. You're ready. And I'm ready. I'm ready for this." When I still don't say anything his voice gets even louder; he's almost yelling now. "You can count on me now! I know you couldn't count on me before, but you can now! You can!"

I search my mind for anything. A rejection. An acceptance. Anything but the utter silence that was consuming the space now.

"No." I try to make it sound final, but even I couldn't make myself believe it.

"Look, you know we're supposed to be together. I knew it the first time I saw you two years ago, and you know it too. I know you do."

"No, no, no, no, no!" I wave my hands around and try to ward of the falling tears the best I can manage. Jess takes the last couple of feet separating us and grasps both of my hands into one of his, stopping the waving movement mid-air.

"Don't say 'no' just to make me stop talking or make me go away," he lowers our hands and intertwines the fingers of his hand with mine. "Only say 'no' if you really don't want to be with me."

I'm waiting for another 'no' to come out. Another one should have already made its way out over my tongue and past my suddenly very dry lips, into the tense air that was filling the space between his mouth and mine. I looked at our joined hands. His fingers fit perfectly between mine and I couldn't help but smile when I saw them tighten their grip on my hand. I shook my head and sniffed before looking up at him again. Determined to get my wishes truly across—to make him understand.

"I have school," I tell him dumbly; as if that wasn't information he'd had already. I shuffle through the piles of references and jokes stacked in my brain like the boxes on my floor. "I can't just up and leave school, Jess. I can't just give up on my dreams. You can't seriously be asking me to give up on that."

He looks like he's about to object to my words. Wants to tell me that he didn't mean for his words to hold that meaning. To tell me once again that us running away is still the best plan—the only plan. That to be together we can't be here. I can see the cogs turning around in his head, forming words.

"What if I stayed for now?" he finally suggested. His tone was more clam and thoughtful than it was a less than a full minute previous. He reached his hand up towards my hair, and wrapped a piece around his finger. "I'll find something to do during the days. You can keep going to classes. Finish school. I'll stay and work."

"We'll be together." I finish his thought before he had the chance.

He smirks and presses his forehead against mine. The contact between us feels like air finally being let into my lungs for the first time in over a year. I hadn't realised how much it was hurting to not have him this close for so long. I bite the side of my bottom lip and disguise my smile from his watchful eyes. Luckily, he can't stop his own smile that has brightened his whole face. Even in the dark, his smile has the ability to make my stomach do flips.

I shift my body closer to his and finally wrap my arms around his body. He returns the gesture and kisses my head as it rests on his shoulder. I close my eyes as we stand there in place. In the dark. In my dorm room. Holding onto each other tightly, listening to the sounds of our breathing and our blood rushing through our veins and past our ears. I chuckle against his warm shoulder as he whispers softly:

"Lorelai and Luke are going to kill me."

* * *

 **Comments, suggestions? Anything is welcome! :)**


	2. Chapter 2 - Hot Coffee

_**A/N: So this is a chapter that takes place between episodes. I feel like it might be a bit clunky, but I suppose you folks will be the ones to determine that for sure. Let me know what you think!**_

 _ **Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own the Gilmore Girls. I wish I did. But I don't.**_

* * *

When I woke up the next morning, part of me wasn't surprise to roll over and find that I was now in bed alone. I rolled back over onto my back and stared for a few moments at the ceiling. Jess stayed last night. The two of us squished ourselves into my too small bed, and huddled together under the duvet. Passing words between us into the wee hours of the morning, but eventually falling asleep. We told each other about our lives since the last time we saw each other—never discussing the actual night. I told him about school and the strange living situation I'd obviously found myself in the past year. He told me about the books he's been distracting himself with, and which ones he still wants to read. I even told him about the strange friendship that has begun sprouting once again between myself and Dean; he cringed.

I tried not to worry about the fact that he wasn't still here in bed. I made an effort to ignore the residual feelings of distrust, and gave him the benefit of the doubt. I reached out for my cellphone that was usually on my nightstand and groaned when my fingers me the cold, empty wood. Then I remembered that I'd left the phone in the common room after ordering Chinese food the night before.

Kicking the heavy blankets off my body, I made my way out of the bedroom. The cold wooden floors made me regret the move almost right away; or at least regret my lack of socks.

Just as I reached my phone on top of the box labeled 'winter clothes', the front door opened. Jess' hands were full with a tray of coffee and a brown paper bag of what I prayed was food, all from my favourite café that was just off campus.

"What's all this?" I asked him as I went to grab the tray of drinks. He must not have seen me, or expected me to be there when he re-entered the room, because he gave a little jump of surprise.

"I was hoping you wouldn't be up until after I got back," he replied, obviously knowing what my reaction was going to be to waking up and seeing that he was no longer with me in bed. "I went to get us some breakfast."

"Its fine, Jess." I promised, setting the tray on a box and taking out my coffee. "I kind of figured that's where you were. We aren't exactly able to keep food in here for very long. Nothing too good anyway."

"Rory— _"_

"No, I swear! Trust, right?"

"I would understand if you were still concerned that I was running away from you again. I've given you more than enough reasons to be upset and not trust me at this point. I don't expect all of those feelings to go away overnight, Ror."

"Jess," I put my chilly hand on his cheek and kissed the side of his mouth. "I will admit that I was a bit of residual concern over where you were. But—"

"See!"

"But I just reminded myself that everything is different this time around. _We are different now_." I assured him the best that I could, sensing that my words may not be getting through. "Learning to trust you—and _you_ me—is going to be a process; a long one. But I'm willing to put in the effort to get us to that place."

"Rory, you don't have to—"

"I'm not going to allow you to let me pretend that I was a great girlfriend," I interrupted. "We were both at fault with how everything went, Jess. There was a reason you felt like you couldn't talk to me about stuff."

"That's not—" he was going to try to argue again, but rethought it and just leaned his forehead against mine, and sighed. I knew he wanted to change the subject when he kissed my nose and pulled away. "I got us some bagels and a few muffins. I wasn't sure that you would be in the mood for, so I got a bit of a variety."

"You know me far too well."

I gave him a small peck on the lips and snatched the brown paper bag from his grip. The window seat was the only place in the room that would be somewhat comfortable enough to sit on—that wasn't simply the floor—so we both headed that way. It took a bit of maneuvering for us both to sit in a position that wouldn't hurt our backs later, but we eventually ended up with our backs against the walls, facing each other. Jess' legs were on either side of my body, still wearing the sweat pants I'd loaned him last night, and the white t-shirt (with a coffee stain) he had on yesterday. I grabbed a bagel and hand the bag back over so he could get food as well.

"When are you planning to go back to New York?" I asked him after a few minutes of us silently eating our breakfasts and sipping coffee.

"I'm planning to head out later tonight. It is a little soon, but I know you have to be back in Stars Hollow for the weekend." Neither of us addressed the elephant in the room. He was only leaving so early, because he didn't want to interact with my mom and Luke already when they came to pick my stuff up with the truck. "I'll pack everything in my car tomorrow, tie up a few loose ends, and hopefully be home by mid-Friday at the latest."

"You just don't want be here when I tell my mom about us being together again," I teased. "Don't worry, I'll make sure to paint you in only the best of lights."

"I don't mind being there when you tell Lorelai. I just want to get all of this stuff in New York done as quickly and as soon as possible."

I rolled my eyes at him and nodded my head sarcastically. He shook his, and took a long drink. We sat in a comfortable silence again, even when we were done eating. Unfortunately, that silence was interrupted by the sound of my cellphone ringing loudly.

"Hey, kid!" Mom said as soon as I hit 'talk'. I didn't even get the chance to say 'hello' first. "How is packing going?"

"You know I've been pretty much done packing for a few days," I looked across at Jess and saw a mischievous glint in his eye. "What do you want?"

"Can't I just call me beautiful daughter, who I love ever so much?"

"You can, but I know you have another reason for calling."

"Well, you know how the inn run through is happening this weekend and we aren't prepared whatsoever? I was thinking…"

Jess shifted around on the cramped window seat so that his leg dangled off the side of the seat, and his face was now only a couple of centimetres from mine; our noses almost touching. I could feel his breath on my face as he tittered silently at whatever he had in mind to do next. When he leaned in to kiss me, I was luckily one step ahead of him, and managed to put my hand over his face to stop his movements. He raised his eyebrows at the challenge and backed away slightly only to dive back in towards my neck, and plant a kiss over my pulse. I snickered at the ticklish feeling and regretted it as soon as the sound left my mouth.

"What was that?" Mom asked me immediately, interrupting the constant flow of speech she had going before.

"Nothing, nothing," I tried to assure her as Jess continued his assault on my neck. "So, you were saying about the cabbage?"

"Do you have a _boy_ there?" she gasped.

"Why do you always jump to _that_ conclusion? I was just look at something funny on my computer—continue."

Finally—thankfully—she continued telling be her story. I was hardly listening in the first place, too distracted, and that didn't change. Jess moved down from my neck to my shoulder, leaving a trail of hot, wet kisses, and probably lustful bruises while he went. I tried to bat him away with my free hand, but was easily stopped by his hands grabbing mine. When he hit a particularly sensitive spot, my eyes rolled back in my head, blush coloured my cheeks, and I wasn't able to stop the immediate moan as it left my throat.

"Okay, you totally have a guy there!"

"There's no guy!" Jess paused his movements and started laughing quietly against my shoulder. "I just...um…"

"Uh huh, okay. Whatever you say, hun!" I have to get going anyway. Michel is being incredibly impatient. I'll see you tomorrow, and then you'll get the chance to tell me all about your new boyfriend."

"No, mom! I—"

The phone clicked, she was gone, and Jess was still laughing.

* * *

 ** _Questions? Comments? Suggestions?_**


	3. Chapter 3 - Raincoats and Recipes: P1

**_A/N: So if any of you follow me on the Tumblr for my fanfics (allthyheart), you'll know that I had a bit of an incident where the initial draft of this chapter was over 6,000 words alone... and that's the rough draft. So, I ended up breaking the chapter up into two parts._**

 ** _You'll notice that I use almost exclusively the dialogue in the actual episode, especially for this, and the next chapter. I just wanted to show that a lot of things that happened, are still happening with Jess staying. A couple words are changed here and there, but the context completely changes the meaning of many of the things said (i.e. in the next chapter with the Dean scenes)._**

 ** _I hope you enjoy!_**

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own the Gilmore Girls. I wish I did; but I don't._**

* * *

"Hey!" I shout in surprised as I turn away from my recently locked bedroom door, and see Jess casually lounging on my bed with the tattered and familiar old copy of 'Howl' clutched between his fingers. As if possible, there is a pen as well. As though he hadn't filled every possible blank spot between and outside of the lines with his own lyrical. I bit my lip briefly and rushed over towards him, tacking him on the bed.

"Great to have you home, hon." Mom calls to me through the door from the kitchen as she's walking back upstairs to her bedroom, each syllable get harder to hear. I should have known that I'd wake her up, making that much noise in what was technically the middle of the night.

"I'm glad someone is this happy to see me," Jess murmured between the dozens of kisses I was pressing against his mouth and face. "Although who knows how Luke will react. Maybe his expression with change to something other than anger and indifference."

"I was starting to get worried," I paused my kissing and shifted around on the bed so I was no longer squishing him under my weight. I rested my chin on his chest and looked up at him as I continued. "You haven't called me since you left New York, and I knew you were driving. I thought you were going to be here in the morning. I was just worried something happened. What if you were dead on the side of the highway and no one found you? What if you'd been kidnapped by a hermit living in the woods and I had no idea, because you didn't call me to give me an update on your location?"

"Kidnapped by a hermit?" I could tell that he was trying to contain his laughter—and was failing horribly.

"You don't know!" Turning over onto my back, I reached for the alarm clock to check the time, and groaned when I saw the number three staring back. "Oh my god, it's so late."

Jess changes positions as well, and leans over my body. Shoving an arm under my head, and the other around my waist, I'm instantly cocooned in his warmth. When his lips touch mine, it is like being on the hill at Sookie's wedding all over again. Grass brushing up against my ankles, the sun beating down on our heads. This kiss is like our first kiss all over again, and in many ways it almost is our first. The first of our new beginning. The start of us doing it all over again, in Stars Hollow, but right this time. Communicating our feelings—our thoughts—and being on the same page. The only reminder of an outside world in this moment was the dull light of my lamp filtering through my closed eyelids, reminding us both that we were in my bedroom, with my mother sleeping just a few feet away upstairs. It also served as a reminder that it was night, and that we both should have already been asleep for hours.

"I need to get going," Jess said with disappointment colouring his expression and tone. "I guess I'll have to face Luke at _some_ point."

"You'll be find," I tried to assure him as best I could, without having any idea of the possible outcome of the situation. Luke was just unpredictable enough, that it could go both ways. "Luke loves you, and just wants to know you're safe. I mean, he might be a bit angry at you at first—for a while—but it's just because he cares about you like you're his son."

"Too bad that his way of showing that he cares is probably what's going to get me stuck sleeping on a park bench for the foreseeable future."

"You aren't going to end up sleeping on a park bench. At the very worst I'm sure you can sleep in the gazebo; we've been expecting rain."

Jess rolled his eyes at my antics and laughed sarcastically, before getting up from the bed and heading back towards the window he's presumably came through earlier.

"I'll see you tomorrow morning for breakfast."

He planted another kiss on my cheek before lifting the window and throwing a leg over. I watched as he hopped back to the ground, closing the glass behind him once he was safe. I reached over to flick off the lamp and quickly got under the warmth of my comforter, wondering what the outcome of Jess' talk with Luke would be, and whether he would be sleeping in an actual bed tonight.

* * *

"Anyway, I left the pub, got back to my dorm, and Jess was there." I told Lane as we both sat in her shared apartment, eating chips. She was staring at me with rapt attention, waiting for what I going to tell her happened next.

"What did he want?" she prompted with her mouth full of Pringles.

"He wanted me to come away with him." I replied as if it were the simplest thing in the world. The nonchalant-ness in my voice must have tipped her off that there was something I wasn't telling her about the interaction.

"Oh my God! What did you say?" her mouth dropped open, crumbs falling onto her lamp, and her eyes were almost bugging out of her head.

"I said—I told him that I can't. I have school, and a life. I can't just abandon all of those things to run away with him to God knows where." I tried to make it sound as horrible as possible. As horrible as it actually felt in that moment when I knew I couldn't leave with him like he wanted. Lane has always been an advocate for Jess and I being together. Always sporting her 'Team Jess' shirt that she'd bought from Kirk proudly. "So we aren't running away."

"Wait. I don't get it?"

"Jess is staying here with me," I explained, unable to keep the smile from my face. "Or at least during the summer we are both planning to stay here, and then I'm going back to school and he's going to stay with me at Yale."

"You guys are actually giving it another chance?" her voice was hopeful, but restrained in an effort to not make it sound like she was getting her hopes up for no reason.

"We talked everything over the other night, and it's going to take time, but we'll make it work. We both share the blame in the wrongdoings of the last time we were together, but as long as we love each other in the end, and we are willing to work at it together, that's all that really matters, right?"

"How incredibly romantic to have this guy show up out of the blue and want to take you away with him." She gushed, starry eyed.

"When I first met Jess, I thought, 'What could be better than this? He's smart, good taste in books and music—so cute.'" We both nodded out heads in agreement at the last point. "But Jess before was always great one minute and then the next—you know, as far as I knew when he first showed up the other night, I could have said yes, packed my bag, and by the time I got to the car, he would have changed his mind."

"It's part of why he's cute. He's unpredictable."

"I guess. You know, something is different this time around." I searched my mind for the best way to explain what I meant; what had been on my mind for nearly a week. "Right now, there is hardly a doubt in my mind that he's not going to be there. It reminds me a lot of when I used to be with Dean."

"Dean was very dependable." She agreed.

"It's more than that though," I changed my position in the chair while Lane continued to munch away at her chips. "Jess—well, I've always felt some level of safeness, and he's always been so nice and caring towards me; even if it was just me he was kind to most of the time."

"He really loves you."

"Maybe we just weren't ready, you know? We didn't appreciate what we had before."

"Every girl has to fall for the bad boy. It's the rule. It's the reason so many accountants eventually get married." Lane bit into the last of her chips, and tried to hide a smile as she ate. I laughed at her words and grabbed my own container, finally eating my snack.

* * *

I'd wished I brought my coffee with me while mom and I were standing outside the diner like crazy people. Arms flailing, voice rising, and people staring as though this were a new occurrence. I squinted my eyes and glared at Taylor, who was standing across the street, looking like he was going to come over and interrupt our conversation.

"You can't just date Luke." I told my mother when she finally took a moment to pause her ranting. "When you're with Luke you are _with_ Luke, and if it doesn't work out, it will be really bad for both of us. I mean, how do you feel about this? Do you want to be dating Luke?"

I couldn't believe that we were actually having this conversation. The look in her eyes as she stood in frustration outside the diner, in front of me, said that she'd though about this matter more than she would ever admit—to me, even.

"Okay, we're getting ahead of ourselves here." She held up her hands in the air to stop me from talking as though I was the one that needed to be reined in at the moment. "I don't even know if this is what he's thinking. This could be a totally innocent situation, and then we've done all this what-iffing for nothing. Let's just go back in there and see if anything's weird, okay?"

I nodded my head and agreed with her, if only because I was starving and I knew that my food and coffee would be waiting at our table when we re-entered the diner.

"Okay." She opened the door and entered in front. I followed behind her silently, hoping that she wouldn't totally embarrass herself the moment she opens her mouth.

"Is everything okay?" Luke approached her and asked as soon as I'd already shut the door, and was unable to make a fast getaway.

"Yes." She said even more calmly than she normally would be able; despite never taking her eyes off the ground. The moment she felt confident enough to look up however, she ended up leaning on the table closest to her and tipping the whole thing, as well as its contents onto the floor.

"I'll get the broom." Luke said simply, heading towards the storage room. I could see his shoulders shaking with laughter as he walked away.

I looked around the diner to see what startled my mother so badly that she'd made the entire establishment suffer through her second-hand embarrassment. When my eyes met Jess' over the counter, I realised immediately what had shocked her so strongly. I tried not to make eye contact with my mother as we both sat back down in our now upright chairs. Jess smirked at me and offered a wink that I pretended not to even notice. I managed to hide my smile sufficiently until after Luke called for Jess' help in looking for the apparently lost broom.

We don't discuss the 'Jess Situation' as I'd begun calling it in my mind. His sudden reappearance is understanding something that mom wasn't expecting. We don't even discuss the matter when we get home after a tiring day of getting the Dragonfly ready. Not a single mention during the drive to or from Grandma and Grandpa's, or even during the dinner at their house (when she usually blows up about something that's been stuck on her mind for a while). She doesn't bring up the topic of Jess at all, and I don't either.

We're both too scared.

* * *

 ** _A/N: So what did you guys think? I thought this was probably the best place to end the chapter, and break up the episode. Unfortunately, that means that the next chapter has A LOT of conflict!_**

 ** _Comments, suggestions, questions?_**


	4. Chapter 4 - Raincoats and Recipes: P2

**A/N: Alrighty, this is the second part of last week's chapter. This one is about twice as long as the other one... so you can see why I split the two in half. Remember when I mentioned that this half was a bit more angsty? This is what I was talking about. All that fighting in the episode? This is where all that happens.**

 **Let me know what you think!**

* * *

In retrospect, I should have foreseen that talking to Dean after the other night at my dorm was going to be a mistake. The way he'd been ignoring me since arriving back in Stars Hollow, was a clear indication of his feelings on the matter. However, there was just something inside of me that said that he and I needed to hash things out. Knowing that our friendship was finally getting back to a good place again, and then to have it all disappear in an instant, hurt.

"Hey," he said when I approached him in the hallway at the bottom of the Dragonfly's main stairs. His breathing was laboured from the heavy wooden door he was carrying upstairs to one of the rooms. Both of us shifted around uncomfortably before he spoke again. "I have to get this upstairs."

"Can't we talk?" I asked in frustration as he tried to brush me off once again.

He signed angrily and looked down at the wooden floor before looking up at me again. I could see the unrest in his eyes, and I almost felt selfish in bothering him just to settle my conscience. I needed to tell him what happened though; needed him to understand why. Despite being with Jess now, I still wanted us to be friends again.

"What about?" we both already knew what—or who—I wanted to discuss.

"He stayed."

"Yeah." The distaste was clear on his face and in his tone. "I don't care."

"I thought he was going to go. He didn't though. He's here."

"Well, great."

"Why are you so mad?" It was less than surprising to me that his behaviour regarding Jess and I wasn't shocking. I almost expected this reaction whether it be directed at me being with Jess, or anyone else in my life.

"I'm not mad. I'm working." He pointed at the door as if it was exhibit 'A' in a trial.

"I left you three messages. You didn't answer any of them. I understand you blowing me off at Luke's today, but you won't even look me in the eye."

Dean blew a gust of air out and moved in his spot again, putting his grip back on the door to continue moving up the stairs.

"I have to go." He said, ignoring all of my previous statements as though I hadn't spoken.

" _I_ told him to stay."

"You told _me_ to leave, though."

"I told you to leave so I could tell him to leave."

"That makes sense." I could tell that he was disbelieving before he'd even said the sarcasm laced words. My initial plan to make Jess leave my dorm room had obviously not gone the way I thought it was going to at first.

"It does make sense, Dean. I didn't ask him to come. I did want to hang out with you though, remember?"

"I know. I just—"

"What? What are you so mad about?"

"I just don't like that you are back with him."

"Well, I am with him."

"I know you are."

"Well, I am." I sighed and ran my fingers through my short hair in frustration. "But even if I wasn't back with him, why would it matter to you so much?"

"I don't like him." He reminded.

"Okay." I roll my eyes; he doesn't notice.

"And I… I don't want you with him."

"Right. Because you _think_ he doesn't treat me right, right?"

"Right." I can tell that he is trying to convince me to share his opinions. He even starts leaning in as if I'd offer him a kiss.

"And what would you know about whether he treats me right? Because we're _friends_ , right?" It's an obviously leading question. Had Dean actually been under trial, I can image his lawyer objecting to me leading the witness.

"Right… I'm your friend." He pauses his movements towards me for a moment as he thinks over my words, and their meanings. Ultimately he seems to decide that continuing the leaning in for a kiss is a good idea.

"Then start acting like you are." I turn on my heel and head back towards the kitchen.

"Dean! How we doing with those doors?" Tom calls from the front door as he enters with another door and a few more of his crew members (all with doors as well).

I hear Dean mumble some sort of apology for slacking off while at work, and I only consider taking the blame for less than a second before deciding not to bother. Heading into the kitchen, I can hear Sookie trying to test her staff. Setting different impossible goals, trying to get one or two of them to fail so that she wouldn't have to be worried about firing anyone herself for no reason. I grabbed a couple of cookies off a tray on the way through the room and went straight through the back porch for a breather.

Thankfully, there are a few chairs and a table sitting on the freshly painted porch. Sitting down, I took a deep breath and bit into one of the cookies I'd stolen. I'm only slightly upset to find raisins instead of chocolate chips mixed in with the oatmeal. The dull sound of familiar voices still making their way through the open windows only serves as background noise as I try to quell my anger. Leaning my head back, resting it on the back of the wicker chair, I close my eyes.

* * *

I jumped at the chance to get out of the inn the moment mom asked me to go back to the house and pick up some music for the guests. I knew the situation wasn't dire, but rushed out of the building anyway. It wasn't surprising when Luke showed up earlier without Jess in tow. The subject of him being back, and us being together again still hadn't come up yet, since we all saw each other at the diner the day before.

I walked down the chilly, street lamp lit streets and revelled in the silence that blanketed the town at night. It was almost strange to think that almost everyone was at the inn for the night, celebrating my mom's success. I headed towards home and was thankful for my large collection of sweaters that would be waiting for me as soon as I got through the front door. My idea of not bringing my jacket on this incursion backfired greatly when my fingers started going numb from exposure.

Once I'd finally gotten to the front yard—my walk taking almost twice as long as usual—I couldn't help the smile that reached my face when I saw the very familiar car sitting in the driveway. I walked up the porch steps and gripped the keys in my too cold hands. After finally getting the door unlocked, I made my way quickly inside and through the house. There were no lights on inside except the dim lamp that was in my bedroom.

"Hey," I greeted Jess cheerfully when I saw him lounging against my headboard with a book and pen in hand. "What are you doing here?"

"I saw you walking past Luke's almost 10 minutes ago," he shrugged his shoulders and dog-eared the page he was reading before giving me his full attention. "Hopped in my car and came over to surprise you. It's not a big deal.

"You saw your girlfriend in the cold, freezing her butt off—almost an ice cube—walking through town and didn't think to offer her a drive?" the effort made to keep on a straight face should have won me an award.

"What can I say? Ice cubes kind of turn me on." He reached his hand out to me and I walked over to grasp it quickly, allowing him to pull me onto the bed to lay with him against the headboard. "Okay, seriously? It isn't that cold outside."

He rubbed my arms up and down, hugging me closer to his body. I kicked my shoes off and pulled at the blanket that was under us, but only slightly. Jess helped and pulled the blanket over us, hugging me closer to warm me more quickly. When I let out another small shiver, he grabbed me a black sweater I hadn't previously noticed sitting on my desk chair. Shrugging it over my shoulders, I was pleasantly engulfed further in Jess' unique smell. In an uncharacteristic moment of courage, I shoved my hands under his shirt, touching his warm skin and making him jump.

"You know what really helps conserve body heat?" he asked mischievously after a minute, and despite not seeing his face, the smirk was evident in the tone of his voice.

"Jess!" I smacked his chest gently but smiled at the sound of his laughing, and the feeling of it rumbling through his chest. "We can't get too comfy." I flirted. "I need to get back to the—"

When the knock on the back door sounded, we both looked at each other, confused. I shrugged and got up from the bed anyway, pushing the covers away and letting my sock covered feet pad across the slippery wooden floors. Jess was close behind me, but turned towards the bathroom instead, obviously trying to make himself scarce.

"Hey." Dean mumbled when I opened the door that separated the kitchen from the outside. I became even madder at him than I was earlier today, when a strong gust of wind rustles the old magazines and takeout menus sitting on the counter.

I cleared my throat and prepared for the worst, debating with myself on whether I should even bother talking to him, or if I should just shut the door in his face.

"How'd you know I was here?" I figured that was the best place to start.

"Your mom said she sent you on an errand." He explained easily, as if he'd rehearsed the words on his way over.

"Ah, you went right to the source." I nodded my head, more so for show than actual understanding. Given the argument the semi-public argument Dean and I got into earlier, and the fact that my mother was aware that the argument had taken place (though not the contents of said argument) meant that it was unlikely that she'd told him anything.

"Can I…" he motioned towards the inside of the house, and I noticed how cold he seemed to be standing outside. I debated on letting him stand outside and suffer, but ultimately decided against hypothermia.

"Sure." I sighed and moved out of the way so he could follow me further inside.

"Thanks." He followed me as I headed back to my room, so I could start gathering the music that I planned to bring back to the inn.

"I'm just trying to find some CDs for the Dragonfly." I explained to him as though my actions were not obvious.

"I hear Taylor's a big hip-hop fan." He laughed at his own joke, and it was obvious that he was trying to break the tension in the room.

"Oh, he hops with the hippest of them." I return without really paying attention.

"Your room looks the same."

"Yeah, I tried that whole French revival thing, but it didn't really work for me."

"So, um," he was struggling for more to say, not really ready to get to the point of his visiting. Small talk had never worked between us before, and it was almost annoying that he was even attempting it now. "Is it weird being back at home after being away for a while?"

"No," I sigh and put aside a pile of cases that I knew for sure mom wanted. "It feels completely normal." I don't tell him that it feels better.

"So, um… today."

"Yes, today."

"An interesting day."

"I'd authorize a case study if I could."

"You know, I could be wrong, but somehow I had a feeling that maybe if Tom hadn't have come in when he did…" the moment the words leave him mouth I can hear movement on the stairs. The sound only noticeable because I knew there was someone else in the house.

"Dean?" interrupting his train of thought seemed like the best idea.

"Yeah?"

"Jess. Lindsay."

"It's not working with Lindsay. I can't make it work." He grumbles the last couple of words and I almost feel bad for the guy. "I've tried."

"Are you sure? Because I've heard that the first two years of marriage are the hardest." I'm trying to be serious and not rile him up too much.

"We're not happy." He's trying to explain the situation away. Like his marriage isn't still in existence. It makes me sick to my stomach. "She's not happy, and I can't make her happy."

'Of course not!' I think to myself. 'You're at my house late at night, pouring your heart out to me while my boyfriend hides in the living room.'

"I can't imagine that." I tell him without trying to sound smug, but instead understanding.

"It was a mistake, and I know that now. From the very beginning, it wasn't—"

"Wasn't what?"

"It wasn't…" he's at a loss for words, and I almost get the impression that he'd never actually said what he was thinking out loud before.

"Maybe you could, um, go see a counselor or go away together." I'm not even sure if the advice I'm giving will help, or if the copious amount of television and reading having just made me believe that that's the way things worked.

"No, it's just—it's over. We both feel it." I get the feeling that he's not just talking about himself and Lindsay anymore, rather imprinting his ideas and feelings onto what he hopes I want. "I know we both feel it."

"You and Lindsay?" I clarify, just to get him back on track.

"Yeah, me and Lindsay."

"You both feel it's over?"

"I tried. We tried."

"Well, if it's over, I'm sorry." I tell him as sincerely as possible. I think of putting a hand on his shoulder, or maybe offering him a hug, but think better of the gesture before I even move.

"You are?"

"I'm sorry you're not happy."

"I'll be happy again. Things happen for a reason, right?" he starts leaning in towards me, giving me a strong sense of déjà vu as he gets closer.

"Right. I can't believe this is—that you're—" I take a step away, but his eyes are closed and he doesn't even realise I've made the movement, and was now out of his reach. When my back unexpectedly touches the familiar warmth of Jess' chest, I can't help but feel calmed by his immediate presence. It was comforting to know that he was in the house, but being there close enough to touch is even better.

"I can…" and he leans forward, almost falling over as he plants his affections on dead air.

Dean opens his eyes wide in shock at the lack of contact he's made. He looks from the floor—where both his eyes, and I, were previously occupied—up to where I'm now standing, wrapped in Jess' arms. No more words are said as he scowls at the two of us and squints his eyes as if his laser vision had recently started working. He turns on his heels and huffs as he makes to leave the room, and the house.

"How are you doing?" Jess questioned after a minute, turning me around in his arms so he could meet my eyes.

"Good." I reply honestly, feeling strangely relieved and calm about the situation that had just taken place.

"Good." He brings me back in and kisses my head gently while rubbing my back.

I don't notice that Dean is still standing near the back door until I hear the door slam as he throws it shut. Suddenly, all of the tension that was previously blanketed over the house is filtered out, and calm air is pulled back into the house as Jess steal the air from my lungs.

* * *

Wrapped around each other in my bed, with the covers creating a warm, loving nest to surround us both. Jess reads to me from the book he had before, periodically pausing to listen to my colour commentary, whether it be about the actual book, or just something I'd thought about while he spoke. The sound of the front door of the house opening a closing bursts the small bubble that Jess and I have been living in for almost an hour. Pulling us away from each other, the sound of my mother talking in her usual, excited voice, makes its way closer to the room.

"…this little tidbit! Kirk running naked through the square." She continues her rapid pace, collecting things as she goes through the house and finally heading towards my bedroom. I rolled my eyes at Jess as he smiled and we both got up from our little world and headed to the kitchen. "Of course, with all my careful planning and preparation, I forgot to bring Band-Aids and a camera. I have got to learn that, always, without fail, Kirk equals camera." She rounds the corner into the kitchen and pauses as she takes in the image of Jess and I standing together. "Hey, what's going on?"

"Jess and I are back together."

Jess grips my hand in his as soon as the word vomit leaves my mouth. We'd talked about how to tell mom and Luke about us being back together again. There were notebook pages shoved between the pages in my copy of 'The Bell Jar' that was resting on my desk, which outlined exactly what we planned to say. How Jess was going to make sure he was in a public place so that Luke couldn't murder him right away. The news was going to slowly be broken to mom, almost as if it was happening again right before her eyes—just like before.

"Yeah." Jess nudged my shoulder with his and looked down at my jittery form. "Thanks." His sarcasm wasn't lost on me, but I couldn't find it in myself to care at the moment.

"You're welcome." I nudged back.

"So um," he looked around uncomfortably and finally turned back to me again. "Do you want me to stay?" I shook my head. "Um… bye, Lorelai."

He kissed my cheek and grabbed his jacket from the back of the kitchen chair before heading out towards the front door. Brushing past mom, I knew that he was feeling all the nervousness I was, if not more. The thought that this could end really badly was not lost on me, and I made my awareness known when I raised my voice to call back to Jess.

"Just wait on the porch, Jess." He nodded his head and left through the door, probably pulling out a book while taking a seat on the swing. I turned back to my mother and saw her staring at me both in shock, and what looked like frustration, but was probably anger. "So, I'm almost done getting the CDs together. I picked a wide selection so we'd have choices, and then I picked a bunch that probably only you will like, but it's good to have options."

"So what did Jess want to talk about?" I see her glancing into my bedroom at the rumpled bed sheets and know exactly what she'd thought happened.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you that Jess and I were back together. I know I promised that we would share everything, but I swear we didn't do what you think. I mean, we just got back together, and I didn't even know he was going to show up here tonight, and we just hung out for a bit. It's awful for you to find out like this, I know, but everything's okay. I'm okay, and we were, you know, just talking. So all those Trojan man jokes all these years really weren't of any use tonight. And I'm lucky too, because even if it had, Jess, he's—well aren't you glad that it would have happened with someone who's good and really loves me?"

"But he left."

"You don't understand the situation." Reasoning with her, I can see already, isn't going to work.

"He still left."

"Yes, but—"

"Then I understand the situation."

I can feel the anger and frustration that I know she is probably feeling towards me, bubbling up over the edges. The melting pot of emotion I'd been feeling during the day was overflowing with residual anger at Dean and disappointment that my mother couldn't just see things from my point of view

"He came back so that we could be together. We're happy now."

"Oh, Rory."

"He's trying the best he can, and we're going to make it work. This is a new beginning."

"He told you that?" She sighs and I feel sorry for the tears I can see threatening to pour over her cheeks from the previously happy eyes.

"We decided that."

"He told you that he's staying here."

"Well—" I want to tell her about the plans we'd made. Hoping that if I just explained to her that Jess and I have already had these conversations and figured out what our next steps will be, she'll feel better.

"He told you that he's staying here, he's going to school, getting a job, is willing to deal with you being away in New Haven all the time?"

"We've already discussed pretty much everything."

"You discussed pretty much everything?" she's sounds doubtful, eyes still periodically shifting to the sheets on my bed.

"It's been a crazy week."

"You, of all people—the girl who thinks everything through, the list maker—you didn't bother to discuss all of those things before jumping into bed with the guy?"

"He's not 'the guy'. He's Jess—my Jess."

"He's not your Jess. He left a year ago. He left you."

"I told you, we have it figured out."

The tears are welling in my eyes as well. The disappointment and anger that was masking my mother's usually cheerful and kind face offered more upsetting material than any of the words she said.

"You don't have it figured out until you're sure he's staying in town." She told me as if I was still a child.

"He's moving to New Haven with me when school starts again."

"Oh, my God. I don't believe this." Her eyes almost popped out of their sockets when she let that information sink through.

"He's in love with me, we want to be together."

"Does _Jess_ know that?"

"He's good for me, okay? He's made mistakes in the past, with school, and work, but—"

"No, Rory, uh-uh. You can't be one of those girls who blames the guy for everything one second, but then lets him get away with it all the moment he apologises."

"He wasn't the only one at fault."

"He was the one in the wrong, Rory. He lied, he left, and didn't even said goodbye. There's no other way to spin that, kid."

"I'm not spinning it, and I'm not a kid. I'm nineteen."

"This is Jess, Rory. This just is not the way things were supposed to be."

"Oh, and how were things supposed to be?"

"Well, first of all, you were supposed to be in a retirement home." I resist the urge to pull a face when I picture the image she's conjured up in her head—and now mine. "And secondly, ideally, it was supposed to be with someone else."

"And now I'm with someone sweet and kind, who loves me."

"I didn't raise you to be like this. I didn't raise you to be the kind of girl that goes running back to the same guy over and over again no matter how much he screws up."

"You keep running back to dad."

"That's different."

"And last time, he was engaged, and Sherry was pregnant."

She runs her hands over her face like she can't believe the words coming from my mouth. As if she had been expecting me to forget those details, or at least not bring them up—especially during a fight. I knew it was a low blow when I took it, but I couldn't help the verbal wreckage.

"So, this is all my fault? I set one crappy example for you, and you have no choice but to follow in my footsteps?" I turn to walk away. Just needing to leave the house, and also consciously aware that Jess is still sitting outside in the frosty nighttime air. "Rory, what are you going to do now? Huh? What's the plan?

"I don't want to talk about this anymore."

"I just want what's best for you, that's all!"

"I don't want to talk about it!"

"I just don't want you to get hurt, Rory. What if he leaves again? Now you're even more emotionally involved."

"You're just mad because I didn't come running to you to discuss whether or not I could handle this commitment. I decided it on my own."

I can see the utter defeat on her face as she realises finally that I wasn't planning on backing down. That this fight, she wasn't going to win. The year away from home turned me into an actual adult—almost, and with that came the responsibility to make my own decisions; relationships or otherwise.

"Well, obviously, you weren't ready for this commitment. The very fact that you chose for it to be with Jess proves that!"

"I love him!"

"But he dumped you! He abandoned you! You could pick someone else!"

"Stop it!" this time I finally manage to get all the way to the front door before she calls for me again. There is no pause in my step as I open the front door and don't even bother turning my head back when I speak again, "I hate you for ruining this for me."

The door slams behind me and I instantly fall back against the wooden frame. I swear I hear her doing the same thing on the other side, and I know we're both just as upset as the other. Jess stands up from the swing, obviously having abandoned reading a while ago with our voices coming through the door loudly enough for him to hear.

He wraps me in his arms comfortingly again. A gesture that is becoming much too familiar so early into summer vacation. I cry into his chest, soaking tears through the fabric. He mumbles something about 'getting out of here' and I absently nod my head in agreement as he leads me to the passenger side of his car. Before opening the door and letting me sit, he bends down so we are almost eye level and kisses my cheek, and then my jaw, close enough to my ear to whisper.

"I love you too."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading! Comments? Questions? Suggestions? You can also reach my at my blog on Tumblr: allthyheart**


	5. Chapter 5 - Say Goodbye to Daisy Miller

**A/N: If any of you follow me on my blog (allthyheart), on Tumblr, you'll know that I'm not too happy with this chapter, and that it took way too long to write because of that. I wasn't sure what to do for this chapter. I didn't want to go through the whole episode, knowing that I wasn't planning to send Rory to Europe... Meh. Anyway, let me know what you think!**

* * *

"Jess?" I whispered quietly into the night, and to the body lying next to mine. My head was resting on his chest, moving gently up and down with each breath he took. "Jess, are you awake?" I sat up and put my weight on my bent arm, nudging him just enough that it seemed like an accident. "Jess, I want ice cream."

"It's too early," he rolled over, and wrapped his arm back around my waist, so I was pressed tightly against his chest. "Go back to sleep. We'll get some ice cream in the morning."

"I'm hungry now though," I mumble against his chest. I smile at his groan when he realises that I want him to get out of bed with me in search of food. "Come on! We can even have it in cones."

"Luke never buys any cones, try again."

"You love me?"

"Not that much."

"Jess!" I whined the best I could manage through my laughter.

"Fine, fine," he huffed and rolled back over, sitting up. "You should feel pretty special right now. I wouldn't get out of my nice warm bed for just anyone."

I shivered once the blankets were gone and I was standing in the middle of the chilly room. I hadn't realised how warm Jess was until his body wasn't pressed against mine anymore. Grabbing the thin white sheet from the bed, I wrapped it around myself and held Jess' hand while we headed down the stairs to the diner. I worried that he might be cold, only wearing a pair of plaid pajama pants, but he didn't seem bothered by the unseasonable weather.

"If you're so cold, you could always put some pants on, y'know." Jess commented before we descended down the stairs. He was looking down at my bare legs, seeming to remember that I only wore his t-shirt to bed earlier that night.

"I'll be fine," he nodded his head and pulled me down the stairs with him. "Besides, you're like a space heater. Who needs pants when you're around?" I blushed as soon as the words left my mouth, realising how he would take what I'd just said.

Unsurprisingly, a smirk appeared on his face, but he had no verbal comment towards what I'd accidentally said. Part of me was relieved that he decided not to tease me too much about my slip. Especially given that we hadn't even hinted at taking that step in our newly reformed relationship.

As soon as we reached the bottom of the apartment stairs, I was acutely aware of how many windows there were in the main diner. Jess seemed to notice too as he pulled me through the room and back into the kitchen. He released my hand so he could go to the freezer, and I grabbed two spoons from the container on the shelf. I debated on getting some bowls as well, but decided against it when I realised that between the two of us, we'd probably just eat the entire thing. I hopped up on the counter just as Jess opened the lid of the frozen treat and threw it in the garbage.

"You're going to be the one cleaning that in the morning," he teased.

I roll my eyes and decide not to dignify his teasing with a reply. I wrapped my legs around his while he stood in front of me, scooping the vanilla ice cream out with my spoon. The warmth of his body being near mine, paired with the sheet, was just enough to counter the coldness of the ice cream and air.

"Wasn't this a good idea?" I asked him, finally breaking the easy silence that was resting between us in the dark kitchen.

"Waking up at three in the morning, getting out of bed, and trudging down to the kitchen so that you could have something to eat?" he expression softened from false anger, into one that anyone would deem as loving. "It's okay. Better not make this a habit."

"I've got enough bad habits as it is apparently."

"You can't take what your mom said to you too hard, Ror," Jess replied, obviously picking up on what I meant. "She doesn't mean to hurt you—you know that. She's just worried, and I don't blame her for not trusting me completely, or at all in this case. I'd be concerned actually if she wasn't concerned."

"It's just that," I take the chance to swallow my food before talking again. "Any time we get in a fight, it is almost always because she doesn't trust me with something. Like, I get that she wants me to be happy, but she never actually lets me be happy."

"In Lorelai's eyes, I'm a big risk to be taking. You know better, and I know that the trust issues are still there a bit," I'm about to interrupt him, but he keeps talking. "You're just going to have to wait this one out. I'm not going anywhere, so she's got the rest of our lives to warm up to me at least a little."

"The rest of our lives, huh?" he nodded his head, smile growing.

"Just think about how bad it will be when we have kids," he ignored the surprised look on my face and keeps rattling off different scenarios. "She'll want to see them all the time. I almost feel bad for her, really. We're right in the middle of the story of her and I becoming the best of friends, and she's missing the whole thing."

"Kids?" It is the only words I can manage to get out with all of what he is saying rolling around in my mind.

"Lots of them," he pauses and pecks my lips. "Like twenty of them."

"That's a lot of kids," I murmur against his lips as he continues to pepper kisses across my face. "Thank you for cheering me up tonight. Thank you for being so sweet."

"It is a bit out of character for me; you should count yourself as lucky."

"Don't worry, I do."

"I do too." With a final kiss pressed to my lips, and the empty cardboard container sitting on the counter next to me, he brushes my unruly hair away from my face and pulls away. "Back to bed? I know you have to be back at the inn to see your grandmother."

"You should go in my place." I attempt the biggest smile possible, but even that doesn't make him cave.

"I would do anything for you, but never that."

* * *

Despite having only been at the Dragonfly in a few hours ago, entering the inn now seemed like completely unknown territory. Had it been my choice, I know that I wouldn't have even considered coming back here this morning. Having Jess stand with me though, gripping my hand tightly in his—a mix of nerves and support—helped tenfold.

"There's still time to get away," I comment before we even take our first steps into the building. I'd been reluctant the whole way here. Trying to find excuses that made sense in my own head as well as his forceful one. "Hey, remember that great 'running away' idea you had before? I've changed my mind. I think that's the best idea I've ever heard. If we get a start now, we'll beat traffic."

"Is that really the best you have?" he murmured close to my ear.

"You really liked that idea a few days ago." I tried to remind him through tight lips. One glance in his direction though proved my assumption that his eyes were practically rolling out of his head.

"It is only lunch, Rory," he kept his hold on my hand as we stepped into the lobby. "Things will blow over. If they don't, then you can blame me and we'll go away for a few days. You hate fighting with your mom."

"She started it!"

"No, you both started it."

"Oh, my, my." Mom said loudly as she saw us walk into the room. She walked towards our direction, and I tried my best to fight my urge to avoid. "Well, what a surprise."

"People will expect me to be here for breakfast." I told her with a false sense of confidence. Jess squeezed my hand in encouragement.

"Yes, they will."

"Okay, so we're here for breakfast."

I'm barely able to hear what she says as I pull Jess from the middle of the awkward situation with my mother, to the dining room. The room is nearly filled townspeople practically inhaling the latest of Sookie's creations. The cringe both Jess and I experience happens almost as soon as Babette's spot us from one of the tables.

"Jess, we didn't know you were coming. We starting to wonder what happened to Rory!" she laughed and nudged my shoulder a little bit as we sat down.

"I just ran out this morning to meet him," I hoped the subject of my previously ex-boyfriend's arrival would be dropped; it probably wouldn't. "Hey, Davey. Came for breakfast?" Making a quick decision, I determined that attention previously wasted on the stress of the past twelve hours, could better be spent on the chubby face of Sookie's son.

"Yes, he did." Patty replied in a slightly deepened version of her own voice, doubling as the little boys. "Didn't you, Davey?"

Jess rubbed the tension from between my shoulder blades as watched the scene across the table. Davey bouncing up and down on Patty's lap while Jackson tried to warn her about the faces he was making, and what they usually meant. I picked at a couple pieces of fruit that were on the plate in front of me, but barely had the energy to bite into the grape I'd been rolling around between my teeth.

* * *

 **A/N: Comments, suggestions, or questions? Let me know!**


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